1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for training; particularly, but not exclusively, for language training.
2. Description of Related Art
In language training, various different skills may be developed and tested. For example, our earlier application GB 2242772, discloses an automated pronunciation training system, in some respects improving upon the well known “language laboratory” automated test equipment.
Training and dialogue is carried out by human teachers who are experienced in the target language (i.e. the language to be learn). In such training, the teacher will understand what is being said, even when the grammar is imperfect, and can exercise judgment in indicating when a serious or trivial mistake is made, and in explaining what the correct form should be.
Ultimately, it may become possible to provide a computer which would duplicate the operation of such a language teacher, in properly comprehending the words of a student, carrying out a full dialogue, and indicating errors committed by the student. However, although the fields of artificial intelligence and machine understanding are advancing, they have not as yet reached this point.
EP-A-0665523 briefly discloses a foreign language skills maintenance system, in which role playing is permitted, comprising an input for receiving input dialogue from a user and an output at which the “correct” dialogue which would be anticipated from the user is displayed, for comparison with the input dialogue by the user (or by the computer).
An object of the present invention is to provide a training system (particularly for language training but possibly applicable more widely) which utilized limited volumes of memory to store limited numbers of words and grammatical data, but is nonetheless capable of recognizing input language errors and of carrying on a dialogue with a student.